Cooking again. Dinner 2/1/14. Salmon Braid 
...I was trying to recall how I made this when in Connecticut . I know the original came from a Bisquick box.. Looked online and found similar recipe but not quite as I remembered it. I also was cooking for 5 in Connecticut, so know it made a large loaf which was okay because my daughter Liz and her two girls are visiting.  Elizabeth, enjoys but does not often get to eat fish as some in her family have un-expanded and under exposed taste buds.  
Not having a recipe and no longer a user of Bisquick, plus not having canned salmon but a salmon filet, here is what I came up with.

FIRST- skin and diced Salmon filet.
 The filling, I used a large salmon filet because that was what was on hand, but previously used canned salmon. Mixture is 2 eggs, 2 Tbl spoon Ranch dressing, 1/2 tsp dill weed, 1/2 tsp dry mustard, 2 Tbl spoon diced union, 1/2 tsp pepper. 2 Tbl spoon diced bell pepper. Whisk this together and stir in diced or crumbled salmon (if canned). (SALT IS NOT NEEDED)
Needing a large enough area to contain the salmon mixture, I made a double batch of homemade biscuits.  Pat or roll out Biscuit dough into 9x18 rectangle. Transfer dough to a foil lined baking sheet , curl up sides of foil to hold any escaping salmon .  Make diagonal cuts about 1 inch wide and two inches deep along both sides. Spoon salmon mixture down middle of dough, fold dough ends in, left-right, left-right and braid sides across top.

 I preheated the oven at 425 and baked for 10 mins, then lightly covered braid with foil, reduced oven to 350 and baked for 20 min, uncovered dough , increased oven to 425 and baked till dough was biscuit brown. Remove from oven and allow to rest 15 to 20 minutes. While Salmon loaf is resting heat sauce.  Slice into serving portions, cover portions with sauce.  Sorry, but I used a store bought Alfredo sauce...I believe the original recipe used canned cream of celery or cream of mushroom soup.  After tasting this, I think I will stick with an Alfredo sauce.

After first posting this on Facebook, I have had request for the dessert recipe and my favorite biscuit recipe. I will l add both at the bottom of this entry

Now for dessert My granddaughter Emily Craig and I followed a recipe from the Cook's Country 2014 Feb/March issue for Orange Kiss-Me Cake....Made would you believe using two oranges, one of which you use all of in the cake batter.... Simply fresh and delicious. " To prevent over browning use glass or ceramic baking dish"
You are going to need a food processor larger than 4 cups or you need to be prepared to hand mix in step 4 before adding milk and eggs.

2 oranges
2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/4 tsp salt ( I reduced to 1 tsp)
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup plus 2 Tbl Spoon sugar
3/4 cup walnuts - toasted
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 cup golden raisins
8 TBL spoons unsalted butter, softened
1 cup milk
2 large eggs

1) Adjust oven rack to middle position. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Spray  13 x 9 baking dish with vegetable oil spay ( I greased and floured)
Grate 1/2 tsp zest from one of the oranges into small bowl.  Remove three , 2 inch long strips of zest from the same orange using a vegetable peeler, set aside.
2) Half the zested orange and squeeze juice into liquid measuring cup.  Discard spent Orange halves. Now split your second orange and squeeze juice from both halves into same measuring cup.  Remove seeds.  You should have about 2/3 cup of juice.  Set aside and hold onto the spend halves of the second orange for cake batter.
3)Whisk four, salt, baking powder together in bowl. Pulse together 1 cup sugar and walnuts in food processor until walnuts are coarsely ground.  TRANSFER 1/3 cup of this mixture into bowl with zest, add cinnamon, stir together and set aside.
4) Add raisins and the reserved spent orange halves to remaining walnut/sugar mixture in your food processor, and process until a paste forms ( about 30 seconds).  Add butter pule until combined (about 10 seconds). Add milk and eggs and process until combined (about 10 seconds) scrape sides as needed.  Add flour mixture and pulse till just combined ( about 5 pulses).
5) Pour batter into baking dish, smooth with top with rubber spatula.  Bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes.  No time to relax , move on to step 6
6) While cake is baking, combine reserved orange zest strips, orange juice and remaining 2 TBL spoons sugar in small sauce pan.  Bring to strong simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally, continue to cook until syrupy and reduced to about 1/4 cup liquid ( 10 to 12 minutes) discard orange zest strips.
7) Immediately after removing cake from oven, drizzle orange syrup, spreading evenly with rubber spatula.  let cake for 5 minutes, then sprinkle with walnut/zest mixture.  Let cake cool completely in dish on wire rack, about 2 hours. Serve.
MY NOTES:  I used glass baking dish, but my dish is dark in color, so the cake tended to mound in the middle.  Which of lead to the orange syrup  running to the sides of the pan and not adsorbing across the top of the cake.
My family thought poking holes in the cake with a toothpick before covering with the syrup would have been nice.  I have not tried that yet, but it is something I enjoy on several cakes.

Biscuit   I just doubled this for the Salmon braid.  From Better Homes and Gardens cookbook (Third printing 1990)
2 cups all purpose flour
1 TBL spoon baking powder
2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp cream of tarter
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter, shortening, or  margarine (I use unsalted butter)
2/3 cup milk ( for drop biscuits increase milk to 1 cup, do not knead or roll. drop dough from TBL spoon onto greased baking sheet)

In a bowl whisk together all dry ingredients, cut in butter.  Make well in center of mixture pour in milk all at once, stir just until dough clings together .
MY NOTES:  I never got this "cut in the butter" part even close to right, until I learned about using the large side of my cheese grater to grate in cold butter.  It is less time consuming and a better process for ensuring distribution.

On a lightly floured surface and with floured hands, knead dough for 10 or 12 strokes.  Roll or pat dough into 1/2 inch thickness.  Cut biscuits to desired shape/size and bake at 450 degrees  for 10 to 12 minutes.


  Question:  Should I try and include recipes in these post?